MANY people in Newcastle can name Alan Shearer as a former Newcastle player and Cheryl Cole as singer and X Factor presenter. A large number would be able to name Boris Johnson as the mayor of London and a few Ray Mallon as the mayor of Middlesbrough.

Very few will be able to name the leader of Newcastle City Council and the vast majority will not care because, although they elect their local councillor, they have no say over who runs the council.

At present, only councillors can lead the council and the council leader is chosen behind closed doors by self-interested councillors selecting one of their mates. A classic example of "who you know, not what you know".

Newcastle deserves to have a leader who has demonstrated a commitment to the community, chosen by its residents to work for its residents; and one who can be ousted by its residents. In short: A mayor accountable to the people, not to council cronies.

This democratic right is enjoyed by other notable cities around the world – and in neighbouring North Tyneside as well as down the A19, in Middlesbrough.

An elected mayor will bring immense benefits to our city. A mayor for Newcastle would change how the city works and how it presents itself on the national and international stage. It will bring new powers and resources to boost Newcastle’s budget; creating tens of thousands of new jobs for the region.

Newcastle’s economy would benefit from moving to an elected mayor. Business and investors would know who to talk to and the mayor will enjoy significant influence as a member of the Government’s Cabinet of Mayors.

The Government is proposing significant extra powers and resources to make the post of mayor significantly different to that of a council leader. The extra powers, the financial and other resources will be available to address Newcastle’s priorities, such as investing in schools and building new homes. There will be extra powers around job creation to tackle unemployment.

A mayor for Newcastle would have a mandate from the people to speak and act on behalf of every resident, and would have the resources to do just that. Newcastle deserves a leader who is account able. On May 3, we can bring that democracy to Newcastle.

It would put too much power into the hands of one person

DAVID FAULKNER, HEAD OF NEWCASTLE’S LIBERAL DEMOCRATS AND FORMER COUNCIL LEADER.

AN elected mayor is the wrong approach for Newcastle – it puts too much power in the hands of one person, it costs much more and there’s just no evidence that mayors perform better for their areas.

Beware so-called "strong" leaders – they can go native or become full of their own self-importance. It would take two-thirds of council members to overturn a mayor’s decisions, much more than the 50% for a council leader or even the Prime Minister. It’s not right.

No extra powers have yet been identified for mayors – it’s flannel. The Government plans some new powers to existing leaders and executives – exactly the same powers that mayors can have. And a Newcastle mayor won’t make decisions for Gateshead or Sunderland as the pro-campaigners imply – why should they?

Councils without mayors are better performing according to independent regulators and better rated by their citizens than those with mayors. The Quayside regeneration and developments like the Eldon Square extension, new museums and libraries and the Angel of the North happened on Tyneside through great civic leadership but without mayors.

Do people want a mayor? For a decade citizens in Newcastle have been able to petition for a referendum but none have. Turnout in mayoral elections elsewhere is no greater than ordinary council elections.

The real issue is the huge centralisation of government with politicians and civil servants in Whitehall. We need local people to make more local decisions. Without extra powers or resources mayors can do nothing more. David Cameron is imposing this referendum and is desperate for Newcastle to have our own Boris, who is a joke to many. London is an amalgamation of different local authorities so it does make some sense to pull them together, but it’s not the same here.

Newcastle already has a Lord Mayor, mostly ceremonial and non-political. It would continue even with an elected mayor. But two mayors? It’s a recipe for confusion.

And what’s the experience elsewhere? North Tyneside, with a mayor, is in gridlock. Stoke had a mayoral system which caused chaos. They had another referendum and switched back.

Finally, the cost – £200-250,000 for the referendum; £200-250,000 for a mayoral election; and at least £100,000 for a full time mayor. It’s a waste of money. Vote No.&#12288;&#65279;&#65279;